Working Out At Home

From aerobic activities that elevate your heart rate, to exercises that target your body’s core and other muscle groups, you can get the workout you need without joining a gym.

“When it comes to working out, what you get out of it depends on what you’re willing to put into it,” says Chris Reidy, Athletic Training Program Coordinator at Coordinated Health. “You certainly don’t need fancy or expensive equipment to get a good workout, but you do need to commit to your exercise program.”

The first step is to find the time each day for exercise. All you’ll need is 30-45 minutes and a place where you can do your workout. Reidy suggests finding a spot in the basement, rec room or even the living room so long as you’re able to focus on your exercises without distractions. “Before you begin any exercise program, especially if it’s been a while since you last worked out regularly, you should see your doctor and make certain your body is ready to handle the elevated heart rates that you’ll experience,” says Reidy. “The key to a good home workout is to focus on total body movements that raise your metabolism, burn the most calories and produce the greatest results.”

To get the balanced workout you’ll need, Reidy suggests combining aerobic exercises to raise your heart rate, core strengthening for better balance and stability, and a variety of other techniques that target specific muscle groups in your legs, arms, shoulders and back. “This may be considered an old-school approach, but these exercises provide you with the essential workout your body needs, without having to spend a lot of money or even leaving your home,” he says.

Squats

There are a number of squat techniques available, but all of them target the lower body, specifically your thighs, hips, buttocks, quads and hamstrings. By adding weight, whether dumbbells or a gallon jug of water, you can enhance this exercise’s difficulty.

Aerobic Exercise

You don’t need a treadmill or elliptical to elevate your heart rate. Jumping rope, taking a walk around the neighborhood, riding your bike or even walking up and down your stairs can provide the basic cardio workout your body needs.

Core Strengthening

Your body’s core — lower back, hips, lower abdomen and pelvis — should not be overlooked when developing a home workout routine. From toning your abs to helping improve your posture, a strong core makes all of life’s activities easier.

Pull Ups

A tough exercise to complete, pull ups nonetheless are a great exercise that provides whole body stimulation. This exercise targets the shoulders and upper back, biceps, traps, forearms and your grip.

Step Ups

All you need for this exercise is a stairwell where you can step up and step down. The key here is repetition. As is true when performing squats, you can make this exercise more difficult by introducing weights.

Push Ups

Easier to do, push ups are excellent for strengthening muscles in the chest, shoulders, arms and back.

Plank

The variety of options for performing this exercise, which resembles a push up balanced on your elbows, makes it an essential part of any core training as it strengthens the back, shoulders and abdominal muscles.

Target Key Muscle Groups

Getting a total workout at home requires some basic exercises that target muscles in your shoulders and arms, as well as in your lower body.